It’s 4:57 AM and it’s day two of taking pictures of our sale heifers. We need to get going pretty soon but I thought it would be fun to share a few tips we’ve learned about taking sale cattle pictures as well as some behind the scenes pictures from today.
So, I’ll do my best to snap some fun photos. They will be on our Facebook and Instagram pages. As I said in this article, about writing Stock Show Stories, I try not to write on the day an article posts, but I thought this could be fun for everyone to see behind the scenes a little.
Prepare the Cattle
Sale cattle look best if they are in good condition, clipped and presented well. There are so many cattle being sold online that you need to stand out…in a good way. I’m a little surprised when people post a calf that is skinny, not clipped or really even very clean. You are asking quite a bit of your buyer to envision what that calf could look like.
Hire a Photographer
Last year, we decided the only way to present the cattle in a way that we wanted them was to hire a photographer. It was the best decision. Ask anyone who has taken sale pictures and they will tell you it’s a stressful event. There are many moving pieces and high expectations. At the end of it, you want your pictures to look stellar.
We have friends who tell really funny stories about taking sale cattle pictures themselves with just their wives or kids.
Of course, at the time, they aren’t particularly funny! If you think just working cattle together brings out the dragon in everyone, try taking sale cattle pictures.
Choosing a Livestock Photographer
Choose someone you whose pictures you really like and a personality you like. You need to be able to communicate with your photographer, you may as well enjoy being around him or her.
There are many great photographers out there but focus on someone who gets great shots and creates a real representation of the cattle.
Have you ever looked at a picture of a sale heifer and thought, “Oh, I like this one!”? Then, you click on her video and it looks like they mistakenly put the wrong video in for the picture you just liked? You think, “I’ll bet they’d like to know they need to switch that out.” You click on the next lot and it’s the same thing.
Hmmmmm…. Well here’s the problem, they had someone who is good at photoshop take and edit their pictures. They have cleaned up their front ends, added rib and bone. Well, shoot! Stay far away from that. I love the term a friend of mine used, “chop shopped.”
Funny Story
Audrey Christensen @aushrae takes our pictures. Last year in the picture pen, Frank noticed we needed to clip a little off of a heifer’s tailhead. He asked Audrey if she could just take it down a little. (So he didn’t risk clipping her whole tail head OFF if she moved abruptly in the picture pen.) Yep, that’s happened!!!
She told him, “I will remove the halter if necessary but I’m not fitting them for you.” I died laughing but also I really respected that. She’s going to get the best shot of the cattle possible, but it’s an honest shot.
Would you like me to interview Audrey to get more specific tips and advice? Comment! If I don’t hear from you guys, I’ll assume you’ve got it.
DIY Pics
If you have just one or two calves that you are going to post on Facebook, you may not need to hire a professional. However, you really ought to study what they do. Pay attention to the angles they go to, the position of the cattle’s feet and heads. Make sure the lighting is good.
Are there three pickup trucks and a dog in the background? That’s probably distracting from the cattle.
My Dad, the Photographer
We pick on my dad from time to time on the blog and today is no different. If you haven’t read about him before, he’ll give you the shirt off his back but he is quite comical. Just ask ANYONE who knows him.
The whole family teases him because he’ll usually take a picture of a calf that looks like he’s playing the game “Twister” and send it in a group text to Will, Frank, my brother and me. It may or may not have all four feet in the picture, and it could be grazing…or halfway behind its mother.
“What do you think of this calf?” In fairness, he’s improving with the teasing he receives, but make sure you get all 4 feet in the picture and the calf is set up as if he’s in a show.
I’d better get going, but hopefully, this helps you with your next sale cattle picture session. If you enjoy this kind of post, let us know!
